Naturally Sweetened Candied Pecans

Halloween was Friday and all five children emerged successfully from it: Ethan as a surprisingly convincing spy in Brandon's old suit, Olivia as a pioneer woman that she researched with the thoroughness of a thesis (she had a historically accurate bonnet), Mason as a construction worker with his own actual tool belt because Mason does not need to pretend to be a construction worker but the costume remains accurate, Lily as a butterfly of such elaborate construction that I spent forty minutes Wednesday night finishing the wings after the kids were in bed, and Noah as a dinosaur who ate all of his candy corn before we had reached the third house and then asked if he could have more candy corn and had to be told that candy corn does not grow back once you eat it, which he found philosophically interesting.

I made caramel apples Thursday for the school parties: twenty-four apples, dipped, set on parchment, sprinkled with crushed nuts and mini chocolate chips. Olivia's teacher specifically requested them because Michelle Larson's caramel apples came up in a ward conversation that reached the school through what I am understanding is a supply chain for my cooking reputation that I did not build intentionally but which appears to be functional.

November begins Sunday and my mind has turned to Thanksgiving, which is four weeks away and which in this family is the second most logistically complex holiday after Christmas. We host every other year. This is a hosting year. That means: my mother and father from Orem, Tyler and Stacey and their kids from Boise, Brittany from Sandy, Josh and Katie and their families. Approximately twenty-two people. I started the Thanksgiving planning spreadsheet Sunday. Column A: dish. Column B: who brings it. Column C: what goes in the freezer in advance. Column D: timeline by hour. Brandon opened the spreadsheet and said: you have already color-coded it. I said: of course I have already color-coded it.

With the caramel apple operation wrapped up and the Thanksgiving spreadsheet already color-coded by category, the next thing I reach for every single November is a batch of candied pecans — they go into little dishes on the counter before the guests arrive, they travel well in a jar to anyone who needs a hostess gift on short notice, and they make the kitchen smell like the holiday is already fully underway, which is the psychological effect I am going for when I am staring down a guest list of twenty-two people and a column D timeline broken down by hour. These are naturally sweetened with maple syrup, which means I feel slightly better about Noah eating them by the fistful, and they take about twenty-five minutes start to finish, which at this point in the season feels like a gift.

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes | Servings: 12 (about 3 cups)

Ingredients

3 cups raw pecan halves
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional, but recommended)

Instructions

Preheat the oven. Heat your oven to 300°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Make the coating. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg white, maple syrup, coconut sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and cayenne (if using) until the mixture is smooth and slightly frothy.
Coat the pecans. Add the pecan halves to the bowl and stir until every pecan is thoroughly coated. This takes about a full minute of stirring — don’t rush it.
Spread and bake. Pour the coated pecans onto the prepared baking sheet and spread them into a single layer, separating any that are clumped together. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the coating looks set and dry and the kitchen smells like November.
Cool completely. Remove from the oven and let the pecans cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes before touching them. They will be soft when hot and will crisp up as they cool. Do not skip this step, and do not let anyone eat them straight off the pan, no matter what they say.
Store or serve. Once fully cooled, transfer to an airtight container. They keep at room temperature for up to two weeks, which means you can make them the first weekend of November and have them ready when people start showing up at your door.

Nutrition (per serving)

Naturally Sweetened Candied Pecans — The Thanksgiving Treat That Buys You Ten Minutes of Peace